Heyhey. Apologies for the non-existent update during the previous week. You know those days where you just don't feel like doing anything and even cancelled plans seem exciting? Yeah. Anyway, today I went to town to meet a friend, as well as check out the sales. In this post I combined today's buys with the things I bought in UK when my parents came to pick me up. Lately I'm trying to be more careful with shopping, so also all these items were needed and carefully thought of before purchasing. Well, sort of. The weather seems to be picking up during these days, so you can expect some outfit posts in the next few days!

Which item is your favorite?
PS. Little rant: everyone, stop obsessing about Google Reader closing down tomorrow! It won't make any impact on your life whatsoever. What you use is Google Friend Connect - a completely different thing and there have been no claims of it shutting down on blogs that are powered by Blogger.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Hey there! A few days ago I was contacted by Vilar - a new beauty salon in Luxembourg and was invited to try out one of their treatments, so obviously I decided to do my nails! The thing that immediately caught my attention was that this salon is actually Latvian-owned, and they already had a couple of beauty salons in Latvia before expanding into Luxembourg. Located at Rue du Curé (near McDonalds, Sushi Shop etc.) it is very easy to find! It's the very first time I'm making a review post on a salon experience, so I'm new at this - hopefully I've covered all the details people would like to know! :) Oh, and I went crazy with picture effects/filters, not my usual thing but I think it looks quite fun!

I've had a long love/hate history with my nails - I used to bite them and my skin was all damaged when I was small, now I've stopped all that but they are so weak that they just constantly keep breaking, which is why I always have some sort of nail polish on, as it keeps them in "one piece" for longer..if that makes sense. I swear, I was desperately trying to grow my nails before the appointment, but it just wouldn't happen.

I went for the long lasting Gelish nail polish, which is meant to stay for a couple of weeks. I've tried it once before and it really is very effective! I think that's a really big advantage, especially for those who are too lazy to have to repaint their nails every few days as the color chips off. Basically they paint your nails as they normally would, but you constantly have to put your hands in the UV Gel nail dryers to strengthen the polish.

This is the result - my nails were already super short, and, after filing them to get a nice shape, they are even shorter, but I honestly don't mind it anymore as they look very clean and tidy - I think that's the most important thing when it comes to a woman's hand and toe nails. The nail polish looks very shiny and shimmery, the texture is super smooth and the color is bold - absolutely loving it!

This is me and Ilva - the girl who works at the salon currently and also the one who invited me there. It was so nice to talk to some Latvian people! While it is a Latvian salon, they are still looking to get clients from all around Luxembourg, and they offer a lot of beauty treatments, such as massage, manicure/pedicure, eyebrows, waxing for really good prices, like REALLY good, haha. I'm always discouraged to visit beauty salons in Luxembourg as they are ridiculously expensive, so this is definitely a win for me. You can check their price list here. They actually have a 20% discount for nail, eyelash and waxing procedures, which makes the prices even cheaper! For good deals you can check out their Facebook page and you can book an appointment by calling +352 691 725 975. :)

Monday, June 24, 2013

This is my second and last look (because the deadline approached too fast!) for the Swap Shop Styling competition organized by Vouchercodes and Most Wanted. I decided to keep this look very casual with a color pop. This is the kind of look I would wear out to town on a casual Friday/Saturday night for drinks with friends at the bar, and while I would like to be comfortable and not dressy, it is still an occasion to wear something more interesting than I would wear to Uni.
The brief of the styling competition was to show how we would achieve completely new looks by teaming a couple of new items (the clutch and boots) to the items we already own, so I decided to start off again with my classical sweater - black jeans look and work my way up from that. Remember when I told you guys that they gave me a budget to buy something extra for my outfits, to refresh the look? Well, I bought these Topshop booties, and I'm so glad I did as they are so versatile and have literally been worn daily since the purchase.
Soon the voting will start, I really hope you guys will support me there as I would absolutely love to win! I will make sure to write all the voting details on my blog once it starts.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Hey there! Today I wanted to show you my lovely new Motel Rocks dress which I've already worn a few times when I went out. It's quite bodycon and fleshy, so I always try to "tone it down" a little by adding some nice accessories and a jacket. I've always been a big fan of black bodycon dresses and always feel super happy to discover some "advanced" designs as opposed to the usual simple bodycon dress.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

I often get asked about how I can afford buying so many new clothes while I'm living on a student budget, so I thought it was time to finally make a proper post out of this. The truth is that I'm really careful with online and real-life shopping when it comes to price - there are LOTS of ways to save money and most people don't realize this and tend to overpay. Sales are not the only way to save some money on shopping - in fact you can pretty much get everything (clothes, food, gadgets, restaurants, going out etc.) for cheaper if you know the right websites. This will be my guide for better fashion shopping with special perks for students, however, not exclusively. I would be extremely happy if you would share your tips in the comments section as well!

1) ASOS ASOS is definitely my go-to website for most online shopping. It offers a large variety of brand clothing as well as their own, sometimes for better prices than the item in the original shop. Their website is in general very sleek and easy to use - the catwalk videos and 360 degree rotations of shoes and other items make it much easier to see the item before purchasing it.
Now, what I really love about ASOS is the constant discounts it offers (more on that below) through discount sites. Therefore, if I see something I really like in New Look, River Island or other shops, I know I will get it cheaper on ASOS. I was also hunting for some New Look sandal heels a few months ago and they were sold out, but today I actually purchased them on ASOS for even cheaper than at New Look - score! Their free worldwide delivery doesn't hurt either ;)

2) Myunidays.comThis website unfortunately only applies to University students, but, let me tell you, it's absolutely amazing! You register on it with your Uni registration number and then you are offered with all-year-round discount codes for sites like ASOS, Boohoo, Motel Rocks, Schuh, Topshop and so on. Even Apple store offers a discount on some items for students. The codes are usually 10-15%, but every bit helps (especially when it comes to Apple!).
The best bit about this site is the fact that 2-3 times per year it gives 25% off ASOS for all students. I still remember that time I ordered 4 items (Mango coat, ASOS bag, peplum skirt and a chain-back red dress) from ASOS for less than 100£, thanks to this discount.
For those who are not students, you can ask a student friend for their code, because the codes are always regenerated.

3) Fashion Vouchers If you're not a student, fear not - you can still get discounts from other websites, such as Fashion Vouchers, which not only give you discount codes but also shows information on special sales at various stores, as well as amazing offers at shops such as ASOS, Boohoo, Missguided, Miss Selfridge, Nelly, AX Paris and many maaaany others!

4) EbayI know this is quite obvious, but it really is super good. First of all, you can score sold-out popular items that are sold by people who mistakenly bought the wrong size, or something. Those sold-out Topshop leather buckle boots you've been looking for? Here they are. There are also many retailers that use Ebay as their "shop", for example when I bought my Chelsea Bunny boots I bought them from one of thesekind of users, where they have a huge stock of sizes and colors. Some popular retailers, such as Schuh actually sell a lot of their stock on Ebay, if it doesn't get sold in the actual stores.

4) Next2Nowt.com
I haven't used this site before, but I absolutely love the concept - it sells items from high street brands for half the price or less. Usually those are items that have been slightly damaged or returned to the shop, but they are all in good condition and each photo clearly shows and describes if there are any damages. The items are detagged so it doesn't actually tell you where they come from to avoid people trying to bring these items back to the stop to demand a full refund, but if you have a trained eye, it's very easy to tell where some things are from. The website sells TONS of Topshop shoes (here's a few examples for you: 12345).

6) Cashback sites

This is a system I only first tried today, and I feel bad for not having done it before! Cashback sites receive commission for sales they make through their referral links and they send that commision back to you, so you actually get some of your spent money back in your account. The website I tried is called Topcashback.com, and I will receive around 10% of my ASOS purchase from today. The reason these websites send the cash back to you is because they survive financially through their advertisements. It's quite genius, actually. I recommend you to read everything carefully first, so you know exactly what to do and how.

7) Blogger Discounts
It is always worth a try to have a look around Google to see if any bloggers are offering some discount code for a fashion company they are working with. For example, a few years ago when I collaborated with Missguided, they gave me a discount for all my readers - lots of websites do that with bloggers! Also with Motel Rocks, don't ever shop there paying the full price, because there will always be blogger discount codes (eg. my code: kristianav for 20% off non-sale orders).

8) Sample Sales
I recently attended the Motel Rocks sample sale at their London showroom and it completely changed my perception of shopping. I bought items for 5£ when they were still available on the website for 50-60£, quite crazy! I highly recommend doing some research to see if there are any upcoming sample sales, as they really do offer great prices. Most sample sales have smaller sizes though (Motel had mostly XS-S, some M), as those are usually the clothes modelled for their website and stuff. Here, I just found that Wildfox is having an upcoming sample sale, whereas this website shows info for Juicy Couture and other bigger brands. This twitter account could be an easier way to keep you updated on upcoming sample sales. Most sample sales do happen in London though, but if you are visiting it would be the perfect way to do some shopping for cheaper!

9) Lovefashionsales.com This is a website I started using recently, you basically enter the name of the product you are looking for, eg. Motel Rocks Jordan jeans or Jeffrey Campbell Lita Spike and it will show you which websites sell that item for less - I found the Jordan jeans on ASOS for £23 (RRP is 38£) and the Litas for 89£ (RRP ~ £150). I think this is a great idea, because different websites have sales at different times, and nothing hurts more than buying a full priced item only to find out you could have paid half :D.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Remember when I went to a blogger party organized by Vouchercodes.co.uk and Most Wanted? The event was all about swapping unused clothes and making good use of customizing old items, so I was very happy when I received an e-mail asking me to take part in a follow-up blogger styling competition (#swapshopstyling). The idea is to style the items I took home with me from the party with the clothes I already own. I was also given a budget to purchase a little extra to spice up the outfits..so I got something in the bag below :D Unfortunately I did that shopping on the same day the outfit photos above were taken, therefore you will see the Topshop item in one of the next posts.
The item I picked up at the Swap Shop in this post is this biker jacket by Next. It's a size 10 or something so quite baggy, but I found that when I wore it with this huge baggy sweater, it was not only super warm but also went well together. The big black sweater and skinny black jeans are sort of my "signature outfit" when I have no idea what to wear, then I tend to work my way around it by adding accessories and jewelry to make it different each time.What do you think about my first look, how do you like it? After a few weeks all looks will be entered into a competition where the winning blogger will receive a 200£ Zara giftcard..an absolute dream in a student's life!

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Hey! I'm so sorry for the poor update in the last days, but I'm moving out of uni, my parents are here too so I'm pretty busy from morning to night each day. Today we visited Brighton, Portsmouth, Southampton and other cities! Tomorrow I say bye to my uni accommodation and neighbors, and go back to Luxembourg - I'm gonna miss this place so much, living on the campus really is the best thing ever.
Meanwhile, above are some photos that Tina took of me a while ago, the shoot was a dark-themed one, opposed to our light-themed one with Kaori. I wasn't sure whether to post these photos, but here you go :P
Next week in Luxembourg is promising to be very nice - will finally see my girls again, as well as my dogs, the weather will be VERY warm and I'm also going to a beauty salon opening, weeeee!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

When I received this Lashes of London dress, I was positively surprised by the quality. Two things struck me at first; the zipper - as you can see it's a proper zip, which goes to the very top, not one of those tiny hidden ones, and also the fact that even though the dress is super short, I don't feel uncomfortable in it, as it has an underskirt, so it feels pretty layered. I decided to leave all black items out of the equation and teamed this coral dress with bright pink accessories for a bright summer look. Lashes of London is generally quite an eye-catching brand, pretty much every item on their website is one of those "statement" items which you can team with simple things and look like you put a lot of effort in getting ready, gotta love that, haha! By the way, if you're not feeling the colorfulness, the dress is also available in white and some other colors.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Well if there's one thing I love about being a student that lives in the UK is the constant discounts, as well as the usual student discount and free shipping offers, when it comes to online shopping. For I recently ordered these two studded items. The shoes come from Boohoo (direct link) and the phone case from Missguided (direct link). The shoes originally cost 15£, which is already a good price, but then there was a 25% discount on all footwear as well as the 20% student discount, so I paid 13£ for the shoes + delivery. The phone case was 8£ and I received it the next day with free UK delivery. Unfortunately, though, the phone case disappointed me greatly - the way the studs are put on is so bad, they're mainly concentrated on the right side - nothing like the photo Missguided presents on the website. I sure hope that they put more effort into their other phone covers and that I was just unlucky, but I do feel quite ripped off. The Boohoo flats are really nice, only I wish I went a size smaller, however the ankle straps provide support which is great! I can't wait to wear them as soon as the UK weather comes back to its senses.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

This is quite an overdue post - I took these photos before the Most Wanted Swap Shop blogger event in Shoreditch, London. What a wonderful location, indeed! I'm glad the current weather situation does not require tights, boots and a winter coat anymore.

Talking about the event - I am happy to announce that I'll be taking part in their blogger style challenge, where I will post looks featuring the items I got at their clothes swap, plus they will give me an allowance to purchase something new to refresh my wardrobe slightly. I did mention it is a challenge, meaning that people will be able to vote for the best look and the winner will get a Zara voucher. I can't wait to start planning my first look already! :D

Tomorrow I have my very last exam, which will be in Marketing, so the weekend has not been very fun. It's crazy to think that tomorrow I will have officially finished my first year at university!

Friday, June 7, 2013

Hey there! The AX Paris giveaway is now over and I already contacted the winner who chose their item - thanks so much to everyone who entered, there will definitely be more giveaways in the future! Today I went for a Zumba Xpress class, which was the advanced, super fast version of Zumba - not so good for a first-timer, right? However I absolutely loved it and I'm hoping to continue Zumba in Luxembourg during the summer.

This outfit is one I've been super excited to photograph! I just feel like such a lady in it, haha. The skirt is one of the items I picked up at the Motel Rocks sample sale. I've been dreaming about their dresses/skirts with this particular texture & material ever since seeing them at their Christmas blogger party, so I was SO happy to find it there for so cheap. What I love about this skirt is how I feel so covered in it and the loose flowy material which makes it perfect for a summer day. I also wanted to let you guys know that I've added a new badge to my "sponsors" in the sidebar - you can get 20% off Motel Rocks items (excluding the items on sale) using the code kristianav, this badge will stay there indefinitely, so you can do it at any time. Let me just tell you, they have absolutely amazing summer prints at the moment!